Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Preparing for a Career Transition

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Today, I’m happy to share a guest post from my partner, Hallie Crawford. Do you know you need a career change, but you aren’t sure what path to take? Hallie specializes in helping recent college grads and boomerangs identify their ideal career paths and make it happen. Visit her site to learn more about Hallie!

By Hallie Crawford, MA, CPCC

Not happy in your current job? Thinking about making a career change? Dynamic lifestyles and an uncertain economy are just two of many reasons to consider a new occupation, or even an entirely different field than the one you’re in now. Trust me; as a career coach who has helped many people reinvent themselves professionally, I can assure you that you’re not alone!

Maybe you’ve seen some layoffs at your company and “the fear factor” has you searching for alternate options and wanting more satisfaction out of your work. Perhaps you crave a more flexible work situation, one that allows you to balance home and career more effectively. Whatever your circumstance, one thing’s for sure: you’re unhappy or unsettled in your current job and you want to do something about it.

When you start to get the itch, it’s time to make an assessment and begin to set early goals. You may wonder, am I really ready for a career transition? How can I best prepare myself for a change? But even before you delve into the components of a satisfying career, it helps immensely to cultivate a healthy and positive mental outlook. People who are successful at making a change are the ones who are willing to overcome their fears, doubts and insecurities in order to make it happen. You, too, can be one of these people…

Keep these preliminary tips in mind before forging ahead on your path to a more fulfilling and rewarding career!

1. Commit yourself to making a change.

Something that is incredibly important to any change you make in your life is your level of commitment. You have to be committed. How committed are you to finding a career that fits, on a scale from 1-10? If it’s not at a 10, what do you need to do to move it up the scale? The time to ask yourself key questions is now. Do your research, so you know what questions to keep in mind. Contact a career expert who can help you become reacquainted with your goals and dreams. Explore career websites. Take personality tests. You will find that the more time you invest in career opportunities and self-discovery, the more committed to the cause you’ll become.

2. Learn to overcome obstacles.

To be successful in changing career paths, you need to learn to overcome obstacles you will encounter along the way. The obstacles I see time and time again for people wanting to make a career change are: not knowing what to look for in a job (so they take one that is “good enough” that they don’t truly enjoy) and negative beliefs–not believing they can successfully make the change. With practice, you can retrain your mind to see past perceived limitations, which are only a figment of your imagination anyway! With sufficient self-exploration, you will be able to pinpoint the exact qualities of the ideal career for you… and even the characteristics that you don’t want in a career.

3. Get support.

I was able to very successfully make my career transition into coaching in large part because of my own coach. She helped me create my plan, remain positive, move forward, identify what I wanted to do and learn to overcome obstacles. I’m being honest when I say: It really helps to have support from a group or a coach to remind you to stay positive and focused.

4. Claim your life.

My last thought for you… is to claim your life. There never is a perfect time to make a drastic career change, and you can always come up with excuses/reasons not to. You do need to take some kind of risk and perhaps step out of your comfort zone. The key is to minimize the risk and be smart about it. Get support from a career coach like me or someone else who can provide solid guidance and the resources you need to move ahead with your plans.

Discover the essential components to a satisfying career today!

If you know what you’d like to do next, but aren’t sure where to start, Keppie Careers can help. Learn about us and how we can help you successfully land your dream job.


photo by wiscdoc

Peer Infiltration Networking – Network Down and Across for Job Hunting Success

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Regular readers know that networking is one of my favorite topics. I especially love when I find expert sources who confirm the advice I’ve been giving my clients! A recent New York Times article by Hannah Seligson highlighted a trend identified with Generation Y job seekers, but I think it is a valuable strategy for everyone to use when networking. What is it? “Peer infiltration” – networking down and across instead of networking “up.” In other words, don’t try to network with the top branches of the tree; if you’re a middle branch, or down near the roots, find others like you and network with them!

How does it work? The article quotes Tamara Erickson, a researcher on generational differences in the workplace and author of Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, as saying that most job seekers born since 1980 prefer to network with their peers instead of targeting high-level professionals.

Seligson notes:

Lindsey Gerdes, 28, a staff editor at BusinessWeek who writes about Generation Y, says that, particularly in finance, knowing someone your own age can be an important step to getting your foot in the door. “If you are one of these young analysts that lost their job and you don’t know someone in your demographic or from your college that works in your industry, get to know one,” she says. “These young people are the ones with their ears to the ground about hiring needs.”

The article suggests that savvy job seekers take advantage of formal and informal, in-person (“schmoozing”) and online networking opportunities. Networking isn’t rocket science; it makes sense to create a lateral network with friends and extended contacts for information about opportunities.

I think an approach that focuses on peers makes networking much more do-able for anyone who hesitates to “ask for help” and for those who are not comfortable contacting high-level professionals. The fact is, starting where you are is the best networking strategy, as long as where you are includes a tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and even Twitter, and that you make a point to attend in-person networking events as part of your plans.

The article also reminds us that job seekers (and everyone hoping to have a great network) needs to cultivate relationships beyond basic friendships so that contacts will be able to vouch for them professionally. When networking in social settings (including online), keep your professional goals in mind.

Just as it isn’t a good idea to bad-mouth your boss on your Facebook page, it may not sit well with professional “friends” to learn about unsavory job antics, such as when you called in sick after a long night out or how you manage to stretch your lunch on days you’re bored. Oversharing about your personal relationships and anything else that may be considered “TMI” (too much information) is best kept for close friends.

If you’re hoping for a strong professional network, keep it friendly, but save the nitty-gritty details of your life for friends who aren’t prone to judge you based on your own errors in judgment.

Have you successfully used peer networking? Does it sound more do-able than what you’ve been trying to do? Share your thoughts!

Don’t forget that Keppie Careers can help with every aspect of your job search. Need a resume? Don’t know where to get started? We can help!

photo by Old Shoe Woman

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When Your Past Impacts Your (Job) Future

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Much is being written about President-elect Obama’s application for employment. The new administration will fill about 7,000 jobs that last until the end of his time in office. Sarah Needleman at the Wall Street Journal wrote that you can find listings at gpoaccess.gov. She notes, “The positions are projected to be filled throughout the first year of the new administration, and will range from jobs such as director of accounting services for the Department of Defense to deputy manager of cleanup for the Department of Energy.”

Applications are available at change.gov. The site shares information about the transition and various updates, including an ethics policy.

The application itself, which includes 63 detailed questions, may deter many job seekers. In fact, Nisha Chittal at Brazen Careerist suggested that anyone who posts information online not even bother with the application. She points to questions such as:

“If you have ever sent an electronic communication, including but not limited to an email, text message or instant message, that could suggest a conflict of interest or be a possible source of embarrassment to you, your family, or the President-elect if it were made public, please describe.”

“Please provide the URL address of any websites that feature you in either a personal or professional capacity (e.g. Facebook, My Space, etc.)”

“If you keep or have ever kept a diary that contains anything that could suggest a conflict of interest or be a possible source of embarrassment to you, your family, or the President-Elect if it were made public, please describe.”

“Please list, and, if readily available, provide a copy of each book, article, column, or publication (including but not limited to any posts or comments on blogs or other websites) you have authored, individually or with others. Please list all aliases or ‘handles’ you have used to communicate on the internet.”

Certainly, anyone with a deep digital footprint would need to be careful about answering these questions. What? You forgot about that diary/blog you kept two years ago detailing an intimate relationship with someone who is anti-government? Can you imagine providing copies of everything you’ve ever published? Including comments on other blogs? What about offering your online aliases? What is the point of an alias if it’s not anonymous?

Clearly, most people are not going to be applying for one of these 7,000 jobs, but I think the application should make all of us think about what we are doing online and in our personal lives that may impact our employability later on. The fact is, when you go online, you enter a very public space and content you create will be out in cyber-space forever. Think before you post (or do) things that could incriminate you. Don’t assume that “it won’t matter” or that you “won’t use your own name, so no one will know.” I wouldn’t be surprised to see more employers asking for online aliases, and to answer honestly, it would be necessary to provide them.

So, whether or not you are thinking of going to work for President-elect Obama, this application is a wake-up call for every professional. Be sure your digital footprint isn’t resting on a pile of quicksand that is ready to swallow you whole!

Are you prepared to respond to personal questions for a job application? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Don’t forget that Keppie Careers is here to help you succeed in your search!

photo by orebokech

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"Interview Suits" Make a Return Appearance

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Image via Wikipedia

With many companies “casual” and Google and similar organizations with relaxed dress codes heading up “top employer” lists, knowing what to wear to an interview is a lot more complicated than it once was.

Conventional career advice says to dress more formally for an interview; it helps job seekers appear serious about the position and (when done correctly) gives applicants a more professional, polished look.

Well, now it’s officially stylish to turn back to the interview suit, according to Eric Wilson in the New York Times Style section. He explains, “… With the unemployment rate in America at a 14-year high and more than half a million jobs lost in the last three months alone, there has been a detectable shift in the way people are dressing for work. In the financial sector, certainly, the tone has become more serious, and as a predictable result, somber suits are making a comeback.”

The article reports that stores such as Men’s Wearhouse and Tahari are seeing higher sales for suits, especially classic navy and gray pinstripe styles classified as “interview suits.”

“We are back to a time when every company expected both women and men to wear suits and we didn’t have a Casual Friday,” said Gloria Mirrione, a managing director of A-L Associates, a financial services placement firm. “They are looking for a sharper style. I recommend a strong suit that says you are collected and ready to work.”

The fashion mavens do disagree about one thing: pant suits or skirts for women.

The bottom line is that interviewees must do their research to help determine the best choice for interview attire. Women especially have many choices. Pants or skirts, accessories, colors or traditional navy and gray?

Should you dress creatively – perhaps a flashy tie or colorful bag? Or conservative pin stripes? There is really no hard and fast rule. Do be aware that, in a tight job market, all of your choices are matters of scrutiny.  Before you even get to the interview, employers have potentially vetted you online by checking social networks and Googling your name.  Your resume was scanned for key words and scoured for skills and accomplishments.  You need to know who you are, but also how other people perceive you.

Bottom line – keep an eye on trends, but make choices that suit your plans. (Pun intended!)

What did you wear to your last interview? Was it the right choice?

Don’t forget that Keppie Careers is here to help with every aspect of your job hunt. Explore this site to learn how we can help you.

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Interview with Liz Lynch, Author of Smart Networking

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Liz Lynch, founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of the newly released Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online, mastered the skill of networking from the ground up and is now a sought-after speaker who brings a practical and insightful perspective to networking that has connected with a global audience. Her printed and audio products have sold on six continents, she’s been invited to speak at conferences and organizations around the world and her writings have been translated into multiple languages.

So, when Liz invited me to join her virtual interview series contest for bloggers, I was delighted to sign on! Liz touts her new book as “the essential guidebook for building business relationships in a wired world.” (Please vote for my interview by clicking HERE and scrolling to vote for me in week #2)

I enjoyed the opportunity to include her expert perspective on a topic regular readers know is one of the most important for job seekers: networking for success!

Here are my questions and what Liz had to say:

What “homework” should prospective networkers do before they attempt to engage in new networking relationships?

I’m glad you asked about homework, because so many people go into networking situations completely unprepared, expecting magic to happen. The best homework is to create a plan for your networking (Chapter 13 of Smart Networking takes you step-by-step to develop one). You want an overall plan, a big picture strategy, but you also want a plan for your ground game. Before you go into a networking event or even a one-on-one meeting, know exactly why you’re going, what you want to know and what you want to convey about yourself. Having a plan will help you sound more confident and give you more confidence. It will also help you achieve what you want much faster.

How do you advise busy people seeking to take advantage of the best online AND in-person networking? What are the “must haves” in a successful networking suitcase?

In marketing it’s almost always more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an old one. If you’re churning and burning through your network, you’ll have to do a lot more work and spend a lot more time just to stay even. So if I had to pick the “must haves” they would be those tools that allow you to stay in touch with your network and communicate with them easily, namely online sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and those skills like mastering the art of the ask that help you get the help you need when you need it.

What are your top three tips to help professionals who are behind the 8-ball in today’s economy because they haven’t already built a strong network?

  1. Realize that you do have a network already of former colleagues, classmates, etc. and it’s worth spending time reconnecting with those folks to re-establish your connection.
  2. Use online networking sites to find these contacts and invite them to connect with you so you have an easy way to reach out to them later.
  3. Tell everyone you know what you are looking for.

How can an unemployed job seeker network effectively without seeming desperate?

First take action with the steps outlined in the previous question, so you have your network set up to help you. Then, take additional actions to get visible. It may be tempting to stay at home and not want to get out in public because you don’t feel great about yourself, but start meeting people in different ways, like volunteering at a local charity or signing up for art class. Depending how long you’ve been job hunting, getting in a new environment can help shake things up and give you a strong purpose to follow that can spill over into improving how you feel about your job search.

What advice do you have about cultural differences to consider when networking?

I was in China in June and realized how people there seem much more comfortable asking questions that we wouldn’t find appropriate here in the U.S. Questions like, “How much money do you make?” would leave most of us aghast. Networking across borders requires diplomacy. It’s helpful if you know you’re going to be traveling to get some guidance from a local. And be prepared to respectfully decline to answer questions that make you uncomfortable.

What questions do you have about networking? I’d be happy to answer them in a future post or direct you to a resource!

Don’t forget that I am available to help with all of your job search needs! Everything you need to know is right here on this site!